Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wonder what would happen if, instead of talking as if we knew everything we were talking about, we started talking as if we didn’t. Instead of saying “this is correct” we say “this is correct according to (fill in the blank)” or “Personally, I think this is correct.” It would absolutely revolutionize the way we communicate and the way we think. Not because we suddenly become indecisive but because we force ourselves to open up our minds to other ways of thinking and we suddenly come to the realization that, oh wait, there are other ideas and other ways of doing things. Now, if you’re a lawyer, then ignore what I’m saying, because you’d make a horrible lawyer if you talked like this (maybe) but for the rest of us, I feel like this is something that we need to take on board. Let me give you a couple scenarios.
Scenario A:
“Oh hey Bob, whatcha doing?”
“Oh nothing much Harry, just trying to open this soda bottle.”
“Use the edge of a table. That’s the correct way of doing it.”
“No it’s not. This is the correct way. It’s just not working.”
“You’re dumb and that doesn’t make sense. My way is the correct way.”
“No it’s not. Go away. I don’t want bothering me.”
Scenario B:
“Oh hey Bob, whatcha doing?”
“Oh nothing much Harry, just trying to open this soda bottle.”
“Use the edge of a table. One of my friends told me that it works.”
“I could try that. This way for sure isn’t working. (Sound of a bottle opening) Wow your friend is right. This does work. I’m glad I listened to you and that I wasn’t stuck too rigidly in my own ways to consider other ideas.”
See what I’m saying. (Alright I know it’s a horrible example but that’s not the point). The point is that we often get too stuck in our own ways to consider that other people may be right and that the facts that we “know” may be incorrect, or at least partially incorrect. We need to start talking like we don’t fully know what we are talking about and we need to start leaving room for other ideas that may actually be correct. Of course we can’t just accept any idea as true, that would be ridiculous, but we need to at least consider them. If we were all too stuck in our ways then the world would still be flat, no European would have sailed to America, and I wouldn’t be writing this blog. (Though the first two examples are probably more important).
We thrive on “concrete” knowledge. We need to know (or we think we need to know) that what we know is right and we do not like it any other way. I don’t know if you’ve realized this but young people think adults are ignorant and that they don’t know anything and adults think young people are ignorant and that they don’t know anything. And the thing is that both of them pull from reasons that contradict each other’s reasons. If we young people can realize that adults do know a lot and that we can learn from them and if adults can realize that we young people do actually know a lot and that we have a lot of potential then the impact will be huge. We would actually learn from history, not make mistakes, and the world may actually become a better place. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who is adamant that they are right? Kinda annoying isn’t it. You always seem to end up walking away stressed out and angry. Now have you ever had a conversation with someone who thinks they are right but who is willing to consider other ideas? Isn’t it so much more rewarding? You don’t walk away stressed. You don’t end up not liking the person. And you may actually learn something from the conversation. It’s kinda a cool thought. But I don’t know. That’s just my opinion.
Until next time.
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